Bound By Flame Shows Off Combat In New Video

Bound by Flame is nearly ready to launch, officially becoming the first RPG to arrive on next-gen consoles (though it’s coming to last-gen, too). And speaking of next gen, the developers at Spiders Studios have decided to show off some of the game’s action-heavy, yet strategic combat on display for the PlayStation 4.

Slated to launch on the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and PC, Spiders Studios decided to show off some good old fashioned brawling for the Pee Ess Fore version of Bound by Flame, a game that looks to mix a little bit of Dark Souls with God of War in terms of laying the smackdown on hundreds of grotesque enemies.

As you’ll see in the following combat video, the player is often rewarded for giving combat a little thought rather than just spamming the attack buttons. Like Dark Souls, it looks like it’s best to keep your guard up until you’ve seen the enemy’s attack pattern, followed by some carefully timed dodges and well-placed slices, stabs and slams.

Continuing on with our comparisons, Bound by Flame departs from the almost strictly strategic combat of Dark Souls to offer up longer (not to mention faster) combos and special attacks more akin to something you’d see in, say, God of War. It looks like a nice mix, actually, requiring players to keep their wits sharp, but also allowing for some classic pummeling whenever the player gets the upper hand.

Spiders Project Manager Walid Miled showed off this latest footage on the PlayStation Blog recently, getting players fired up for the Bound by Flame launch on May 9.

“This video is brand new and 100 percent pure gameplay, nothing pre-rendered, and should give you a little taste of the combat…” he explained. “You’ll catch a glimpse of all the possibilities Bound by Flames offers in combat: Stealth, crossbow, fireballs and a two-handed axe and hammer.”

As is shown off in the new video and further explained by Miled, players can quickly change between three fighting stances, including fighter (up close), ranger (ranged weapons) and pyromancer (Burn everything!). Only a fraction of your weapon options are shown here, which include the usual array of hammers, axes, swords and daggers.

So, what are our thoughts, readers? Is Bound by Flame shaping up nicely? How’s that combat system look? Planning on making this your first RPG purchase for the PlayStation 4? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. Otherwise, here’s some more Bound by Flame footage to tide you over until next month.